The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, declared yesterday in Accra, Ghana, that if all efforts to overturn the coup in Niger Republic fail, it will not hesitate to invade the country.

This comes as the German government stated its support for European Union sanctions put on the country’s military dictatorship.

It will be remembered that at its second extraordinary meeting in Abuja last week, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government activated its standing force should the Niger junta refuse to restore to power the country’s expelled president, Mohamed Bazoum.

The warning came as member-state defense officials gathered in Ghana’s capital to plan the next course of action in Niger and discuss the details of the standby force. The meeting is still going on today.

“Let no one doubt that if all else fails, the valiant forces of West Africa…are ready to respond to the call of duty.”

He cited previous ECOWAS deployments in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and elsewhere as examples of military readiness.